Bake-off 2009

*Picture from Williams-Sonoma

Each year, my sister-in-law and I engage in what has become an annual tradition - a bake-off. It began with more participation by my husband and my other sister-in-law and mother-in-law, but it has since dwindled. My SIL and I are keeping it alive, though. Competition aside, it is a fun way to get a couple desserts made for the holiday. We must choose something we've never made before, so it's also fun trying new things. Here are last year's results.

This year, A made this Black-Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie. It sounds fancy, but let's be honest: It's just a fancy way of saying "chocolate pudding pie with raspberries on top". And since we won a couple years ago with a chocolate pudding pie, I conceded the prize under protest. That said, it was a good dessert. It wasn't amazing, but it was good. Aaron definitely loved it.

I went with a Pumpkin Cheesecake. This cheesecake would've been awesome and absolutely would've won, but I overcooked it by about 10 minutes. I just kept opening the oven, saying "Is it done yet? Is it done yet?" I just couldn't tell when the filling was set, and I ended up waiting just a few minutes too long. So although the filling was super yummy, the crust had a slightly charred taste, which gave A's pudding the edge. I will definitely make this cheesecake again, though. Perhaps I'll try it again - and get it right this time - for Christmas.

*Picture from Epicurious

Be Thankful

*These gorgeous boys top my list!

I love that we have a holiday where we all celebrate everything we're thankful for. We should all try to remember to be grateful every day and acknowledge these things throughout the year, as I try to do with my blog, but Thankgiving is just one more way to focus on all the good things in our lives. My list would be tremendous - I am blessed in so many ways - but I thought I'd take a few minutes and think about some of the things I have to be thankful for. Please do the same. And then eat some pumpkin pie, watch some football, or do whatever it is that makes you happy. Happy Thanksgiving!

I am SO thankful for...

- My happy and healthy little boys

- My sweet and awesome husband

- My mom and sisters, who also happen to be my best friends

- The rest of my extended family. I am so incredibly thankful to be a part of such a large and loving group

- My friends, far and near. Especially those that don't allow distance or time change our friendship

- My in-laws. They're just the other half of my family at this point, and I'm so thankful that I joined such an awesome group of people.

- My house, which is coming along slowly but surely as we make it into a home

- My job (I know....you're thinking "my job? seriously?", but yes, I should be thankful), which is flexible enough to allow me to juggle things so I can focus on my highest priorities (those two little boys)

- My health. I get every cold that day care throws at me, and I haven't had a decent night's sleep in as long as I can remember, but I'm still doing pretty well. My boys keep me strong.

- Art. Hard to capture in a short statement, but I'm so thankful for everyone out there who contributes to the art, music, and other entertainment that I enjoy. It's hard to imagine life without art.

*Thanks to Perfect Sentiment for the lovely quote!

Living Room - Before and After

We still have some decorating to do, but the change is so dramatic that I couldn't wait any longer to post some pics. It feels like a brand-new room!

This first picture is from the first time we visited the house, so this is how it looked when we moved it (minus all the previous owner's stuff of course).

And this is how it looks today. Bright walls, a gas fireplace, built-in shelves/cabinets. Most importantly, NO MORE PINK!

It's fabulous. Now we'll have fun trying to find something just right to display on that mantle. What a fun dilemma.

Just another little before and after...

Before...

...and after

Online Cooking Club - Wrap-up

*Image from Bon Appetit

Sorry I missed the last week of the Cooking Club. Actually, I did make a new recipe, but I just didn't find the time to blog about it. Also....it wasn't a keeper. It had such promise, too. It was a Butternut Squash and Sage pasta dish, and that is one of my favorite flavor combos, so I thought it was a sure thing. It was good, but not fabulous, which is what it needed to be to justify the effort. Also....A didn't eat any of it. I'm disappointed that he's not a fan of squash, but he's not. At least not yet. I'll keep trying, of course.

Anyway, I thought I'd just put one more post out here about our little cooking club. I had fun trying new recipes over the last couple months, and although they weren't all winners, I did add a few new recipes to our rotation. These include:

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad - Actually, I made this for dinner again last night. And once again, A ate a ton. Even peppers and tomatoes. Love this one!

Spicy-Sweet Pork Tenderloin - A super easy way to dress up pork.

Corn and Clam Chowder - This is awesome. Seriously. This is going on our list of meals to make with holiday guests.

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan - Using panko makes this chicken parm dish yummy. It's easy too!

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa - A wasn't a fan of this the first time around, but K and I liked it enough to give it another try.

More Pink Skies, Cilantro, and Magna-Tiles

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. Aaron ran into the kitchen and said, "Mom! Come here! Come! Come!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the living room window to show me the "pretty pretty sky". We ran outside in our socks to watch the sky turn colors. I love that he has an appreciation for a pink and orange sky, and I am so glad he pulled me away from making dinner to see it. It was gorgeous.

2. Making dinner yesterday, I took a moment to appreciate the smell of cilantro. One of nature's best smells.

3. Magna-Tiles are currently our key to a smooth drop-off at preschool. A grabs a huge stack of them ("just the small squares, Mommy") and finds a place on the rug. He put down his stack, gives me a hug and kiss, says goodbye, and then sits down to build a house. Loving this routine!

*As the sky turned from orange to pink to purple to blue, several flocks of geese flew overhead. Made the sky even more beautiful.

More Fun with the Timer

Sorry I've Been Away

I have a long list of excuses, of course. I went back to work. We're getting a new computer. Our house is a construction zone. I am not sure how I'm still walking around given my current sleep deficit. etc, etc. But I won't bore you with all that. I'll come back soon. I have some more fun pictures to share. And happy thoughts to think. The holidays are coming - such a happy and fun time of year. TONS to be thankful for. I don't have much time today either, but I thought I'd at least stop in to say that I am sorry I've neglected the blog, I will be back soon, and I hope you're all having a fabulous Monday.

Here are a few fun quotes about being a mom that I thought would be appropriate to share now that I've joined the "working mom" ranks once again. (And just to note - I agree that "working mom" is totally redundant, but it's the easiest way to say it. I'm all about low-maintenance at the moment. Forgive me.) I think the first one is particularly appropriate to my life this week.

"Working mothers are guinea pigs in a scientific experiment to show that sleep is not necessary to human life." ~ Author Unknown

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylum would be filled with mothers."~Edgar Watson Howe

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?"~Milton Berle

"I know how to do anything - I'm a Mom."~Roseanne Barr

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids."~Unknown

"Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare."~Ed Asner

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."-- Cardinal Mermillod

"There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The phrase " working mother" is redundant." ~Jane Sellman

Photos of the Day

Images from a fun afternoon hug-and-tickle session...

A Look Back - November 2008

*Me and my little sister. I need to get my mom to share more pictures like this one online. They make me happy.

It's fun to take a look back at older posts to see what was making me happy a year ago. I think I'm going to do this every month from now on. Looking at pictures of A from a year ago is especially fun. Here's a little sampling of what I was talking about last November:

I Love Me List - A fun reminder of why it's great to be me. I could come up with a thousand other reasons, too. Maybe I'll do that.

Barefoot Books - I adore this book seller from Cambridge. Their books are wonderfully illustrated, and they often incorporate a celebration of other cultures. Our little local library carries a few, and A always loves them. If you have a kid on your holiday list, you should definitely check them out.

Simplifying the Holidays - We're focusing on the kids with my in-laws, skipping the gift exchange among the adults. And in my family, we're limiting the exchange to just stockings. Playing with the kids is the fun part anyway, and I'd rather focus on getting good food and drink to celebrate the season as a family.

Mini-Diaries - I use my blog to capture some of these thoughts, but I still love these mini-diaries and think they'd make a great stocking stuffer!

Are You Rude? Of course you are. Sometimes. We all have bad habits or bad days. But let's renew our commitment to minimizing the rudeness and increase the niceness.

Chocolate Pudding Pie - Have you decided on your holiday desserts yet? You might want to add this one. It's super easy and so so yummy!

Reasons I Love the Holidays - Fun looking at this list and realizing that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Hooray! What a fun time of year. I'm going to have fun anticipating and planning for the holidays.

Sneak Peek

The office is almost done! The office is almost done! (Okay, so it's taken forever and we just found out that the paint we used on the door and a few of the shelves was the wrong kind and we'll have to paint over it, but nothing worthwhile is easy, right?) The blinds are ready to be installed, the rug is ready to go on the floor....it's all going to come together soon. Oh, I am going to have so much fun putting books on those shelves! I'll post true before and after shots in a couple more weeks, but it's great to celebrate progress.

Online Cooking Club - Week 7

*Image from Real Simple

Week 7 of the Online Cooking Club already. This week, I decided to make this recipe for Chicken Enchiladas. Similar to Joslyn, I am a person who is bound by recipes, as you've no doubt noticed. You're not typically going to see me try to "adapt" any recipes or create my own. Occasionally I'll try, using a recipe as an outline but then modifying it based on what I have or whatever. It usually fails. Every now and then it'll work, but in general, I like to stick with what the experts have created.

That said, I did make a few tweaks to this one. I used flour tortillas, because that's what I had and because every time I try to use corn tortillas, they end up chewy and not very tasty. I don't know what my problem is, and I'll try again one day, but for now I stick to flour. So instead of frying in oil, I quickly dipped the tortillas in some veggie broth. Worked fine. I used frozen corn and frozen chicken strips - both worked fine as well, and make it even easier. Also, I'd probably add some cilantro next time. Especially if you don't go heavy on the green salsa (I used bottled, by the way - don't call me a cheat, okay?), a little cilantro would go a long way I think. (Plus I just love cilantro.)

The results? Very good. A was having a bad night - perhaps all that Halloween candy gave him a stomachache - but he didn't really eat much of anything, even after I gave up on the enchiladas and offered him a bowl of cereal. So we won't use him as a judge. My husband said they were yummy, and he doesn't lie about such things. I liked them and loved how easy they were to make. And enchiladas are one of those dishes you can modify pretty easily based on what you have in your fridge. I didn't make a side dish this time, but you could serve with rice, beans, tortilla chips, salad....again, pretty flexible. Another keeper!

Halloween Fun

He is one awfully cute firefighter, isn't he? This was A's first year trick-or-treating, and he loved it! (As all kids do, I suppose.) He was super excited to put on his "lellow costume".

The first couple houses, he did a great job of saying "trick or treat!" and then politely taking one piece of candy from the bowl, and then taking another one if offered. By the last house, though, he skipped the "trick or treat" part and just reached right on into the bowl and took what he could before the person pulled it away. Smart kid. Love it.

I remember very clearly being so excited to get home, dump out my bag, and count my candy. This is exactly what A did. He then enjoyed two pieces and proceeded to run in circles around the living room.

Pumpkin Carving

I'll post the results after the big day. A chose the design by telling us what shapes to use for the eyes and nose and then how many teeth the mouth should have. Expect lots of cuteness on Saturday. It's the first year we're really doing Halloween with Aaron, and he's very excited to wear his costume. In the meantime, we had fun carving our jack o'lantern this weekend. Halloween is great!

Photos of the Day

Red Leaves, Giggling, and Rub Noses

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. The red leaves on the chokeberry bush in front of our house. Gorgeous!

2. The sound of Aaron giggling and screaming as he ran through the leaves and begged to be covered up again and again. *See pictures posted yesterday.

3. When I finished reading bedtime stories, I went to leave Aaron's room. He said, "Mom! Wait!" Then he asked me to come closer. He grabbed both sides of my face and pulled it to his so he could give me a "rub noses". Then he blew me a kiss and said "I love you". Sigh. I am a lucky, lucky girl.

Online Cooking Club - Week 6

*Image from Cooking Light

Week 6! I chose Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan. Super easy, and super yummy! I am sure I used more tomato sauce than it called for, though. The panko gives the chicken a nice texture, and it was juicy and had good flavor. I served with whole wheat spaghetti and salad. Aaron gobbled it up, and so did I! Another one that we'll definitely make again.

Leaves

Hard to know which pictures to include. We had such fun playing in the leaves this weekend.

Closet Update

Okay, the deadline is almost here. For what? My organizing goals of course! I've done a pretty good job. I even got those wood hangers in my closet (see above). Such a little thing, but it makes such a nice difference. As I told K, it makes me feel like a grown-up. The only things I haven't done yet are to organize those bookshelves (still painting, if you can believe it) and to get rid of that old grill. Nobody on freecycle wanted it, but I figure I'll try again when grill season rolls back around.

Of course, the thing about organizing projects is that there's always a list of them to be done. And even when you check some off, they reappear only a short time later. For example, I desperately need to clean out the car again and replenish my driving music, especially as I restart my work commute. So for now, I'll pat myself on the back for accomplishing these goals. Next week, I'll put together my next list!

Smile!

It's amazing how much I love this little guy.

The Botany of Desire

PBS is airing a special based on Michael Pollan's book, The Botany of Desire, on October 28th. From the PBS web site:

"Featuring Michael Pollan and based on his best-selling book, this special takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world, seen from the plants' point of view. Narrated by Frances McDormand, the program shows how four familiar species – the apple, the tulip, cannabis and the potato – evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control."

It sounds interesting. Perhaps I'll DVR it and check it out.

Recycle - Crayons!

*Image from Martha Stewart

I'll admit that although I like looking at them, I will never attempt most craft projects and even organizing ideas. I'm just not the crafty type. But every now and then I run across ideas that are easy enough even for me, and this is one. Did you know you can melt your crayons and reuse them? I already have a growing collection of crayon nubs. I don't have super cool heart-shaped tins, but I'm thinking that's okay. I'm saving this one. I know A would love it, and I love that we can reuse our crayons and not throw away all those broken pieces!

Online Cooking Club - Week 5

*Image from Bon Appetit

I've already told you that I love chowder, but despite my claims, I had never made it at home. After comparing a few recipes, I chose this one from Bon Appetit to attempt for week 5 of the Online Cooking Club. I like the additional vegetables - carrots, corn, potatoes - and anything with a little bacon sprinkled on top is okay by me (and certainly okay by my husband and toddler). I used 3 cups of half and half and 1 cup 1% milk. You could use whole milk as called for by the recipe, or go richer with half and half.

This is absolutely going in the recipe binder. It was awesome! It did take a little longer than I anticipated due to the chopping, and I think the potatoes take a little longer than 10 minutes. However, my husband described this as "restaurant quality", and after having it again the next day, he took the last few bites and said, "I'm sad the chowder is almost gone". Aaron liked it - he didn't eat a ton, but he ate it and liked it fine. This one's probably more for the grown-ups. I think it makes more than 4 servings - 6 perhaps - and it'd be good for company.

Definitely a keeper!

Photos of the Day

My boys kept me company in the kitchen while I made dinner. Don't you love the use of a tractor as a footrest?

Fireplaces, Naps, and Apple Cider

Big fat snowflakes in mid-October

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. I have a fireplace now, which makes the snow a little more bearable, even when it comes in mid-October.

2. My husband took over for a while on Saturday afternoon, allowing me the opportunity to crawl in bed for a much-needed nap. I don't even remember walking upstairs - I think I was asleep as soon as he said the word.

3. It is still Fall, despite the snow, and this means apple pie and doughnuts and cider. I love leaving a pot of cider simmering on the stove - it fills the house with a wonderful smell.

Greenpots

I can't justify the expense of replacing all my nonstick pots and pans, but eventually I'd like to add a few cast iron pieces to my kitchen.


Have you heard of Greenpots? Enameled cast iron made without any chemicals, and they're super cute too. Check them out!

The Fun Theory

Just another fun video that came my way this week...

Apple Picking - Take 3

Waiting for the train

Yep, this is our third time apple-picking this season. What can I say? We love apples. Aaron loves the train and the animals and the slides too. The farm is 1/4 mile up the road. And Daddy hadn't had a chance to go yet this year. I see season passes in our future, once we have to start paying for our little dudes.

Notice the big coats - it is getting chilly!!

He was scared of this slide the first time we came ("too big Mommy"), but clearly he's gotten over that.

Once again, the little guy slept through the whole thing!

Dad and son on a tractor. Don't get more fun than that!

Mother of the Year - Video

Just a little something funny to make you laugh today...

Pink Skies, Chats, and M&Ms

I didn't capture the pink sky, but October skies are gorgeous most days.

This is definitely a week that I need to focus on the beautiful things.

1. One nice thing about getting up early is seeing the sunrise. I saw a gorgeous pink sky with wispy white clouds. Orange trees and a slight breeze swaying the branches.

2. I like it when my sister calls just to chat. I don't get phone calls like that often enough.

3. I bought a huge bag of M&Ms, hoping to use them for potty training. That's not going so well, but I like being able to grab a handful of the colorful chocolates whenever I need a little sweet. (The green-brown combo is making me particularly happy today.)

Online Cooking Club - Week 4

*Image from Cooking Light

We're at week 4 already? Cool. I guess I'm just impressed that I've been able to try something new each week for a month. We'll see if I can keep it going.

For this week's entry, I chose Chicken with Balsamic-Fig Sauce. I'm always looking for simple ways to cook chicken differently. This one is easy, and I like the sweet taste of the sauce. I served with roasted potatoes and asparagus. Aaron ate all of his chicken, including a little of the fig sauce. I usually judge recipes by my husband's reaction, and his was: "Mm. I like this chicken. Figs? Yum." So it's going in the recipe binder and shall be made again.

Photos of the Day

A big boy on his bike

Fun surprise visit from my big brother, an uncle Aaron had never met

Smiles during tummy time!

A Look Back - October 2008

It's hard to believe it's been over a year and a half since I started this blog. Even harder to believe that I've been able to keep it up. I've gone through droughts of inspiration and motivation for sure, but I've kept at it, and I love looking back at old posts. This has truly become what I intended it to be - my happy place. Thanks for stopping by, and for that handful of repeat visitors, thanks for supporting me!

Here's a look back at some of what I was talking about a year ago:

What's the best dessert you've ever made? - A reminder that Thanksmas - and our annual family dessert competition - is coming up soon. Better break out the cookbooks and decide what to make. We were a little ambitious with last year's entry, and although we won, I think we'll go for a more simple recipe this year. Anyone have ideas?

Five Senses Weekend - Vermont Edition - Fun to look at pictures from last year's trip to Vermont. We weren't able to go this year due to our new addition, but I'm looking forward to Vermont 2010.

I Love Boston #4 - The Red Sox - Playoffs are about to begin. Although I've been somewhat removed from baseball this year, my Sox are in the playoffs and I'll be watching.

I Love Boston #5 - Head of the Charles - We'll be going again next weekend. Looking forward to it!

I Love Boston #6 - Clam Chowder - I still haven't tried this clam chowder recipe, but I have it printed out in my kitchen along with another one, ready to try and compare. I'll keep you posted.

The Seasonal Clothes Switch - I just completed mine last weekend. Still working on K's. Resulted in two donation bags, which feels good.

Pumpkin Fest! - Will you make it to a Pumpkin Festival this year?

How to be More Creative

My Favorite Apple Recipes - I've already made the pie and autumn apple cake so far this year, but there is plenty of time left to enjoy apples before I move on to pumpkins.

Blog Love - Simple Mom

I like the blog Simple Mom. Although it is sometimes focused directly at SAHMs, most of the posts are applicable to anybody. They post about ways to be more productive at home, tips for being more green, ways to take care of yourself, etc. The ideas often aren't new, but they are good reminders. I may share a post every now and then from them when I read one I particularly like. A few recent ones I've enjoyed include:

8 ways to pursue a lifetime of learning

Giving your child a global perspective

What to do with kids artwork

*Note: I enjoy sister blogs Simple Nest and Simple Kids too!

Read for the Record - 10/8

Do you have young kids? If so, then join this year's "Read for the Record" event. Sponsored by the nonprofit organization Jumpstart, the event is to have everybody read the same book on the same day (tomorrow!) and break the world record they set last year (700,000). You can read about Jumpstart and register for the event here.

This year's book selection is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. If you have young kids, you probably already have this classic. If not, then get it - it's a good one your kids will adore, I promise.

Good Books, Tricycles, and Kisses

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. I love having a good book to read. My current selection, The Book Thief, is making it nice to curl up in bed.

2. I arrived at preschool and saw Aaron pedaling a tricycle around the playground. He hadn't been able to use the pedals before. Every day brings something like this that reminds me how quickly my little boy is growing up.

3. I brought Nathan downstairs from a nap, and Aaron ran over to me, saying "Nathan nathan, do you want to see me?" He then proceeded to climb up me to give Nathan kisses.

This isn't the greatest picture of Nathan, but it still makes me smile. It already looks like the boys are up to no good together. I love it.

Online Cooking Club - Week 3

*Image via Cooking Light

For this week's cooking club entry, I decided to make something that is more targeted for adults but that can be adjusted as necessary for the kids. I made this Spicy Sweet Pork Tenderloin, and while the salsa mixture may not be a hit with kids, all you have to do is leave it off their plates, perhaps replacing it with a little mixed berry or apple preserves if you like. I've found that although Aaron won't eat regular pork chops because the texture is too tough for him, he really likes tenderloin. I served it with roasted potatoes and green beans. It is extremely quick and easy to make, perfect for those busy weeknights. This will definitely get a repeat performance in our house!

Photo of the Day

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

Muse has a new album out, entitled "The Resistance". I haven't listened to it enough to know if I love it. But I really liked their last one, "Black Holes and Revelations". You've heard it. Here's a live performance of "Supermassive Black Hole". Enjoy!

Fun Kitchen Items

*Image from Cheftools.com

I love kitchen tools, especially essentials that come in fun colors. I love my Crate & Barrel jelly cutting boards - I have yellow and lime green. My mixing bowls are red. Some other fun items that have caught my eye recently include this pretty red bowl scraper with measurement conversions, these great mixing spoons in lots of great colors, this veggie steamer insert, and these fun wasabi green mixing bowls.

*Image from Target.com

Sara's on Apartment Therapy!

Okay, well her awesome house is. Oh how I wish I had her sense of style. I love it! Check out pictures from her very cool place here.

If I Could Register for Wedding Gifts All Over Again...

...I'd register at Anthropologie. Just looking at their dishes makes me happy.